The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has found and removed 276 credit card skimmers from gas pumps so far this year.

“Identity theft is the last thing Floridians and visitors want to deal with while traveling,” said Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam. “An educated consumer is the best defense, and I encourage travelers to follow these simple tips to avoid skimmers this holiday weekend.”

Travelers can take the following steps to avoid skimmers at gas stations:

Increasing enforcement authority against those who possess or traffic fraudulent credit cards;

Reclassifying the crime of unlawful conveyance of fuel, which increases the maximum sentence; and

Increasing the offense level of the crime, which affects sentencing guidelines.

Consumers who suspect that a gas pump has been tampered with should contact the gas station manager, local law enforcement or the department's consumer protection and information hotline at 1-800-HELP-FLA (435-7352) or, for Spanish speakers, 1-800-FL-AYUDA (352-9832).